§ 22. Mr. Hannanasked the Postmaster-General what proportion of Post Office uniforms in terms of price is purchased in Scotland; and what was the relevant proportion in 1950.
§ Mr. HannanWill the hon. Lady bear in mind that, since private enterprise and the Government generally seem unwilling to induce private enterprise to come to Scotland to provide employment, she and her Department could influence expenditure in this way to take up the slack in that part of the United Kingdom?
§ Miss PikeI should like to remind the hon. Gentleman that an increased share to Scottish firms for the supply of uniforms is largely due to the efforts of the Post Office to stimulate tenders.
§ 24. Mr. Lawsonasked the Postmaster-General what proportion of Post Office telephone and electrical equipment, including cables, is purchased in Scotland; and how this proportion compares with similar purchases in 1950.
§ Mr. BevinsAbout ½ per cent. in 1959–60 and 1 per cent. in 1950–51.
§ Mr. LawsonDoes this not show that the trend indicated by the earlier Answer has certainly not been borne out in the much more important matter of developing modern industries? Would he not use his Department's buying power to see that Scotland gets a share of this very important electrical and cable business?
§ Mr. BevinsI should be delighted to if there were suppliers of this equipment in Scotland, but the fact is that Scotland has got very few indeed. I should like to make it perfectly clear that where the Post Office can help in giving contracts to Scottish firms we do so—for instance, the cable ship which is being built on the Clyde.